Friday Fun: National Spelling Bee Recap

Last night was the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and for the third year in a row, it ended in a tie. Eleven year-old Nihar Janga and Jairam Hathwar, 13, tied to share the highest honor in spelling after Janga nailed "gesellschaft" and Hathwar got through "Feldenkrais." At this point in the competition, the list of words had been exhausted and co-champions were declared.

This was Janga's first year at the Bee. Hathwar's brother Sriram was co-champion at the 2014 Bee.

Of course, half the fun of the Bee is the drama of the competition, and this year didn't disappoint. Between the dab, an Adele reference, and a few other lighthearted antics, this year's Bee was full of moments nearly designed to go viral.

Still, silliness aside, the competition was fierce and nail-biting. Janga could have clinched a solo victory twice, but tripped up on spelling "ayacahuite" and "tetradrachm," meaning the competition would continue.

Despite the fact that Bee organizers had changed the rules to attempt to prevent ties after the back-to-back tie finishes of the 2014 and 2015 bees, the list of championship words was no match for Hathwar and Janga. The two competed for nearly three full hours.

Perhaps the most talked-about moments at the Bee were Janga's antics. After clapping in Hathwar's face when he missed a word...

"Are there any alternate pronunciations for 'pack your bags, you're going home?'" #spellingbee https://t.co/GqSWfOxvPJ
— Jason Sparks (@sparksjls) May 27, 2016